Recent Articles
One-in-Ten U.S. Children Experience Food Insecurity
One in 10 U.S. children experienced food insecurity in 2019 and 2020, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. Insecurity was highest among 12-17-year-olds.
March 31, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Ignorance About Religion in American Political History Linked to Support for Christian Nationalism; A Kansas School District Won’t Remove the Bible Despite a Challenge Over It’s Sexually Explicit Themes; ‘Running from the Evil That’s Chasing Me’: Ukrainian Refugee in Nashville Details Escape from War (and more)
Cursed, Cursed, Cursed! Or Not?
A new archaeological find on Mount Ebal was announced recently. If authenticated, it could bring real excitement to the study of ancient paleography and perhaps even Israel’s history.
Lenten Lectionary | When Something Gets Hold of Us
I remembered a testimony time from 1997 when reading John 12, one of this week’s lectionary passages. What do we really think about Judas’ question to Jesus? And what does that reveal about us?
When Life Is Unfair, Look for Signs of Goodness
An off-the-cuff statement from a man grieving the loss of his friend stood out amid the usual trappings of a memorial service. “Life isn’t fair,” he said. While he is right, life is also good.
March 30, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: No Alcohol, Tobacco, Coffee of Coke Stocks: A Look at How the LDS Church Has Grown Its Wealth; Texas Pastor Fighting Fires on Front Lines as Church Members Offer Support to First Responders; Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Blasts Israeli Takeover of Church Property, Warns it Could Ignite Turbulence (and more)
The Sad Burden of Thinking One’s World Is Falling Apart and Acting Accordingly
Much of the anger and hostility so present in social media and social settings today stem from a fear that has engulfed a lot of white Americans. Faith, hope and love are clear ways out of such fear-gripping living.
Wisdom’s Place at the Table
Wisdom is a virtue that is widely, perhaps universally, valued. However, its focus on the common good, rather than the benefit of an individual or a particular group, often causes disruption to the status quo.
U.S. Divided on Voting Rights, Pessimistic on State of Democracy
The U.S. is split on voting rights’ progress, a new report found. One area in which most adults agree is on the state of U.S. democracy.
March 29, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Canada Indigenous Tell Pope of Abuses at Residential Schools; DeSantis Signs Controversial Bill Restricting Certain LGBTQ Topics in the Classroom; Spirituality Can Improve Quality of Life for Heart Failure Patients (and more)
Walking With Jesus Comes With Suffering
Lent’s focus on denial and suffering can be depressing. But perhaps it will provide empathy for those who suffer throughout the year. It also reminds us that walking with Jesus comes with suffering.
Emerging Voices | Women in Ministry Vital to Domestic Violence Response
Faith leaders are often the first people a victim of abuse will contact. Clergy need to be well-informed about abuse and domestic violence so they can respond appropriately.
Many Faith Traditions Outpace U.S. Average in Support of LGBTQ Protection Laws
Nearly eight-in-ten U.S. adults support laws protecting LGBTQ+ persons from discrimination. Of the 18 faith traditions included in the report, 10 of these had support levels higher than this national average.
March 28, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Drawing from the Black Church, a Psychologist Pushes to Reshape Mental Health Care; Putin Lifts Conservative Media Talking Points to Bemoan ‘Cancel Culture’; Bake Sale for Ukraine. Green Bay Church Raises Nearly $11,000 to Support Ukrainian Refugees;
More Houses of Worship are Returning to Normal Operations, But in-Person Attendance is Unchanged Since the Fall (and more)
Perverting Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream
Christians still misunderstand Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream. That much was clear from the Senate Judiciary hearing for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.
The Long Shadow of the Transatlantic Slave Trade: What Does this Mean for Us Today?
Why is it inconceivable to some that a Black woman would become a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, even more so than a Black man? Understanding the history of racism and sexism in America is critical in order to see the connection.
Look Back | Celebrate, But Don’t Rest On Our Laurels
Evangelicals often point with pride to abolition as an example of what Christianity can do when it has a cause to fight for. But accurate history has a way of being very awkward for those who see the past in terms of what we called as children goodies and baddies.
March 25, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Man Blocked from ‘Rapture’ When Funeral Home Cremated Him: Lawsuit; The Fish Fry, an Institution of Rooted America; Supreme Court Nominee Jackson’s Christian Faith Becomes Topic in Hearings (and more)
Commemorations Determine What We Remember and Why
In whatever ways we remember — in curriculum or through monuments — to commemorate is a human endeavor. So, let’s be thoughtful and intentional about what we remember and why.
Why Russia’s Biological Weapons Claims Are So Troubling
Russia has falsely claimed that the United States is supporting an illegal biological weapons lab in Ukraine. Here is why these assertions are so troubling.
In-Person Religious Services Increase, Attendance Plateaus
The number of houses of faith holding in-person services as they did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic has nearly quadrupled from March 2021 to March 2022, a report found. Service attendance has plateaued since September 2021.
March 24, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: A Brick that Killed and a ‘Pebble’ that Healed: What Came After Birmingham Church Bombing; Why the Future of the World’s Largest Religion is Female – and African; Historic Synagogue in Kyiv Has Spent $2 Million Evacuating Ukrainians from War’s Hot Spots (and more)
The Power of Words
The baptism of thousands of Catholics has been declared invalid due to a one-word difference in the official proclamation being voiced by the priest. What does this reveal not only about Roman Catholicism but also other expressions of Christian faith?
Lenten Lectionary | Seeing the Good in Repentance
Confessing sins and shortcoming can be difficult. Despite the general acknowledgement that “We all make mistakes,” we’re often reticent to admit specific failings. We need to learn to see the good in repentance.
Why We Need to Remember
I grew up in a Southern Baptist pastor’s home within a denomination that has a long, tragic history of racism. There remains a vestige of systemic racism within Baptist life and much of evangelical Christianity in the U.S.
March 23, 2022
In today’s news and analysis headlines: U.S. Supreme Court Pick Jackson Stresses God and Country Amid Republican Attacks; John Lennon Revealed ‘Imagine’ Wasn’t Actually an Attack on Religion; Church Breaks Ground on Accessible Community Part (and more)
Sticking With Lent
Sticking with Lenten commitments through the full 40 days (plus Sundays) can be a challenge. Here are several resources to provide support and encouragement throughout the journey.
The Debt America Refuses to Pay: Part 2
After more than 250 years of exploitation, abuse and enslavement, the formerly enslaved population of the U.S. was given no land, no property and no money. This is one of many hypocrisies that exist under the so-called “rule of law.”
The Last Thing You Want to Do
“This American Life” is one of the best podcasts currently being broadcast. An episode sharing a conversation between Joshuah Bearman and his alcoholic mother offers profound insight into the human condition.
March 22, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Supreme Court Rejects Case of Christian Group and Bisexual Lawyer; Black Christian Homeschoolers are Redefining the Movement; Why is Russia’s Church Backing Putin’s War? Church-State History Gives us a Clue (and more)